If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the kitchen island is what keeps it Kitchen Cabinet Ideas beating. It’s a place brimming with life, where family and friends and kids gather to eat, drink, be merry or just do a little homework or watch a show on an iPad. Today, kitchen islands are more than the name implies. They’re not some deserted entity poking out in the middle of the room. They’re more like a Swiss Army knife, packed with function.These four kitchens — uploaded to Houzz recently by their respective designers — show just how important hardworking islands have become. They make these spaces complete. Without them, each kitchen would lose a significant amount of storage and function. Here, the designers dish on what make these kitchens, and their islands, work so darn hard. "1. Boldly Modern
Why the design works: “Since the Kitchen Cabinet Ideas residence has a very clean, modern aesthetic, the new kitchen design needed to reflect this same aesthetic. Clean, contemporary, uncluttered yet provide normal kitchen functions and allow for interaction with guests. Once the office area was removed, the new kitchen space became a clean white box within which the kitchen cabinetry could be displayed like the artwork in the rest of the residence.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “My main challenge, as with any white kitchen, is how to Kitchen Cabinet Ideas coordinate all the different tones of white. White flooring, white cabinetry, white countertops and white paint on walls and ceiling — it can be daunting. I would awaken in the middle of the night thinking, ‘How am I going to get all the whites to match?’ Well, they don’t have to — they just need to complement each other.
2. Warm Contemporary
Why the design works: “What’s unique is the mix of materials and colors. I will admit that I was nervous to use three different woods — window stain, dark cabinet stain and then the raised-bar Kitchen Cabinet Ideas island stain — so making sure that this all coordinated together nicely was important.”
Designer secret: “The waterfall edge to the island really made the space feel complete. Also, incorporating the lighting in the table extension off the island was such a cool feature. ​Something I learned while working on this project was to not be afraid of mixing bold colors and textures. It always helps me to use the complementary color schemes to ensure a successful outcome — for example, split complementary, triad, analogous etc.”
3. Feel-Good French Country
What goes on here: “This is a blended family with four kids and three grandchildren. The Kitchen Cabinet Ideas homeowners have lots of friends with children, so it’s all about people coming by and using the pool, spreading out food and making it as easy and casual as possible.”
Polycor24. Industrial Edge
Designer secret: “The greatest solution to the island-weight dilemma was the inclusion of the welded steel frame and the steel plate underlying the slab. Also, the inclusion of the full backsplash in Kitchen Cabinet Ideas contrasting Statuarietto marble to the ceiling line added a modern touch to the traditional material, giving a contemporary feel by extending it all the way up."